Effat Soleimani1, Manijhe Mokhtari-Dizaji2, Nasser Fatouraee3, Hazhir Saberi4. 1. Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. mokhtarm@modares.ac.ir. 3. Department of Medical Engineering, Faculty of Medical Engineering, AmirKabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. 4. Department of Radiology, Imaging Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
PURPOSE: We developed a modified Kelvin model so that the periodic changes of the arterial intima-media thickness (IMT) over the cardiac cycle were involved. Modified model was implemented for carotid artery, solved via a parameter optimization technique and biomechanical parameters of the model. METHODS: Consecutive ultrasonic images of the common carotid artery of 30 male patients including 10 healthy subjects, 10 subjects with mild and 10 subjects with sever stenosis were recorded and processed offline. Temporal changes of the internal diameter and IMT were extracted using a combined maximum gradient and dynamic programming algorithm. The blood pressure waveforms were deduced calibrating the internal diameter waveforms using an empirical exponential relationship. RESULTS: According to the results of the ANOVA statistical analysis, mean values of the zero pressure radiuses, stress relaxation times, elastic moduli and strain relaxation times of the common carotid arteries of three groups were significantly different. Mentioned parameters increased 11, 24, 7 and 6% in patients with mild (< 50%) stenosis and 12, 73, 8 and 61% in the group with sever stenosis (> 50%) relative to healthy group. CONCLUSION: Present study can be an indicative of the general state of the vascular system and be used for discriminating atherosclerotic from healthy arteries.
PURPOSE: We developed a modified Kelvin model so that the periodic changes of the arterial intima-media thickness (IMT) over the cardiac cycle were involved. Modified model was implemented for carotid artery, solved via a parameter optimization technique and biomechanical parameters of the model. METHODS: Consecutive ultrasonic images of the common carotid artery of 30 male patients including 10 healthy subjects, 10 subjects with mild and 10 subjects with sever stenosis were recorded and processed offline. Temporal changes of the internal diameter and IMT were extracted using a combined maximum gradient and dynamic programming algorithm. The blood pressure waveforms were deduced calibrating the internal diameter waveforms using an empirical exponential relationship. RESULTS: According to the results of the ANOVA statistical analysis, mean values of the zero pressure radiuses, stress relaxation times, elastic moduli and strain relaxation times of the common carotid arteries of three groups were significantly different. Mentioned parameters increased 11, 24, 7 and 6% in patients with mild (< 50%) stenosis and 12, 73, 8 and 61% in the group with sever stenosis (> 50%) relative to healthy group. CONCLUSION: Present study can be an indicative of the general state of the vascular system and be used for discriminating atherosclerotic from healthy arteries.